The President of the National Assembly, Tsetska Tsacheva, attended the ceremony on the consecration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary church of the Catholic Apostolic Exarchate in Sofia. The solemn Mass was served by the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Addressing the people in the church, Cardinal Parolin conveyed Pope Francis' greetings and noted that he is following with interest the life of the small Catholic community in Bulgaria. “In its century long history this church has witnessed many joyful and sad moments”, he said. Among the persons who had prayed in the church he pointed to Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Parolin thanked National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva, Vice President Margarita Popova, Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva and the other official guests for attending the ceremony. “Being here all together, we may feel closer to our common Christian family - we all represent the stone of one building – the Church of Christ,” he added. Cardinal Parolin called on the believers to keep always their faith and to keep their hearts open to their brothers from other religious denominations. 
 
Speaking with Cardinal Parolin after the ceremony, Tsacheva said that Bulgaria evaluates highly everything that the Holy See does for overcoming poverty and injustice in the world, and shares these goals. She noted she is happy to be present at the consecration, and on the nice festivity on the occasion of Palm Sunday.  The National Assembly Chair noted she will head a Bulgarian delegation, comprising also a representative of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria, to the Vatican City in relation to May 24, the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slav Letters, when Bulgarians pay tribute to the work of Sts Cyril and Methodius.

In connection with the consecration of the cathedral church The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Christo Proykov, Apostolic Exarch of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria bestowed the Chair of the National Assembly, Tsetska Tsacheva, a commemorative medal.